Pet
by Sugarplumjellygum
Summary: Harry caves to toddler pressure and buys James a puppy. Fluff piece.


Disclaimer: I own nothing except Pet!

Pet

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Two year old James squealed with excitement whilst pointing at the pet store.  
Harry had taken James out for the morning to visit Ron and George, giving Ginny some quiet time to herself and Albus. They had just finished at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and we're going to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for a chocolate and peanut butter cone when James saw Magical Menagerie.  
Looking up at Harry with the most adorable and pleading look on his face.  
Harry sighed, knowing he could never say no to that look. "Alright, let's go but just for a min-" but whether or not James heard any of that was beyond Harry because before he knew it James had taken off at a run into the store. Harry rushed after him, shouting his name as he was confronted by a very big crowd.  
"JAMES? WHERE ARE YOU? JAMES!" Harry yelled as he pushed through the crowd looking for his first born son.  
Harry was just beginning to panic when he found James sitting in front of a play pen that contained three black Labrador puppies. He had a look of absolute fascination and joy, a look that Harry had only seen once, when James saw Albus for the first time. The puppies could only be about seven weeks old. They were tiny and very cute, all yapping, having not learnt how to bark yet.  
Harry couldn't help but think of Sirius when he saw the puppies.  
Harry was about to sit down next to James to watch the puppies playing together but before he could so much as bend his knees James had jumped over the railing and was playing with the puppies and laughing. It was surprising to Harry just how fast James was gaining his magic. He could jump way too high in Harry's opinion and run way too fast. He and Ginny worried about what would come next.  
"No, James, you can't just get into the play pen with them. Only people buying the puppies can play with them." Harry explained  
James just ignored him and continued playing. Harry knew that James would not listen and reached in and pulled him out, he gave Harry a pouty, tearful look, "I'm sorry buddy, but those are the rules. You have to buy one if you want to play with it."  
James' eyes lit up, "BUY, BUY, BUY!" He screamed, excitement etched all over his face.  
"No, that's not what I meant. Mommy won't be happy if we just came home with a dog."  
"Ammal, ammal, ammal." James said, he was still battling to say animal which was to be expected of a two year old, no matter how smart he was.  
"James..." Harry said half sternly, half chuckling.  
"Peeeeez, daddy!" James begged.

Forty five minutes later saw Harry, James and the Potters' new puppy climbing into a Muggle taxi. Harry had caved under the pleading, puppy dog eyes James had given him and bought James' favourite black Labrador and everything else a puppy would need and want. He sent the supplies to their home and then ordered a taxi; it was difficult enough to travel on the Knight Bus with a toddler let alone a toddler and a dog.  
"So, what do you want to name him, James?" Asked Harry as the driver pulled into traffic.  
James looked quizzically at Harry for a moment, thinking, "Pet!" He said with a big toothy smile.  
"Pet? Just 'Pet'?" Harry asked, a little amused.  
James just nodded as Pet licked his face, clearly approving of his new name.  
What Ginny was going to say when Harry and James got home with a puppy after telling her they were just going to say hi to Ron and George and get an ice cream, Harry did not know. They had talked about getting pets at a later stage but no plans as to when that was going to happen had been discussed especially after Ginny had fallen pregnant with Albus. They had enough to handle with two children. And now they had a puppy.  
Harry was so consumed by his thoughts that he hadn't even realised they were at the house until James tried to climb out of the taxi still stuck in the car seat. Pet yelped as James squeezed him, holding on to him so that he couldn't run away.  
Harry rushed around to relieve James of Pet and unbuckle him from his car seat. James bounded from the car calling Pet who was now struggling to get out of Harry's arms.  
Harry put Pet down who took off after James into the garden, he then turned and thanked the driver and gave him a very generous tip for his troubles - strictly speaking, animals weren't allowed in Muggle taxis.  
His eyes never leaving James and Pet, Harry walked up the path leading to the cottage he, Ginny, James, Albus and now Pet called home. It wasn't big nor tiny but perfect for their little family but with a big garden, littered with several of James' outside toys including the toy broomstick he got from Ron and Hermione, a jungle gym and slide. If anything, Harry and Ginny had agreed on making sure they had a big garden for playing Quidditch, having the family over and eventually animals.

Just then Ginny came out of the house, her hair in a messy ponytail and a frown on her beautiful face.  
"Harry, what's going on? Why is there dog food and a stuffed gorilla in our doorway?"  
As she spoke Pet gave an almighty yap, or tried to anyway. The noise was effective enough. Ginny turned in the direction of the noise, her eyes falling on James and a tiny black Labrador.  
"Oh no, you didn't!" She said, turning back to Harry whilst James came running towards Ginny, Pet at his heels.  
"You didn't see the look on his face when he saw the puppies and then when I said no." Said Harry as he bent down to scratch between Pet's ears.  
"Harry, we have two sons. We are not ready for a pet!" snapped Ginny before she pulled James into a tight hug and a big kiss.  
"You want me to take it back to the shop?" asked Harry  
"I...What...Agh! Of course not. But you should have spoken to me." Said Ginny and James and Pet went running into the garden again.  
"Relax, it'll be fine. Look how happy he is!"  
They both turned to look at James and Pet, they were having a blast, rolling in the grass, James laughing, Pet yapping as much as his little vocal cords could do. Ginny hadn't seen James this happy since Albus was born and he got to hold him.  
"James or the dog?"  
"James. Both. They love each other already!"  
Ginny just let out a long deep sigh, there was nothing to be done now other than to love their new puppy.  
"Where is Al?" Harry asked, finally tearing his eyes away from James.  
"Asleep. Finally, he's been wailing for hours, pour guy. I don't like it when he's in distress." Ginny said sadly. Her eyes were still fixed firmly on James.  
Harry pulled Ginny into a hug and kissed her forehead.  
"So, does our puppy have a name yet?"  
"Pet."  
"What?"  
"His name is 'Pet'."  
"You named him 'Pet'?" Ginny asked, half shocked, half bemused.  
"No, James named him Pet." Clarified Harry, not wanting to be blamed for the odd name choice.  
"As in Pet the dog?" Ginny asked, just to be sure.  
"As in Pet the dog." Harry responded, now smiling.


End file.
